The confrontation began in July when the Abe government restricted exports to South Korea of three materials critical to the manufacture of semiconductors and smartphone displays. The move threatened to disrupt the tightly linked supply chains and drive up the price of everything ~ from memory chips to iPhones. Both Japan and South Korea continue to suffer from the baggage of history. Given the rigid stance of both countries, no easy solution seems likely.

Taiwan has been ruled separately since the end of a civil war in 1949, but China has vowed to take control of the island, by force if necessary. It has significantly stepped up diplomatic and military pressure on Taipei ever since Tsai Ing-wen was elected as President in 2016.